Gene
"Corruption is an endemic disease that accompanies power; wherever it is taken, given or granted. Those whom should be held accountable to the people and ideals they are sworn to uphold will be purged, persecuted and purified; like imperfections are drawn from metal, by fire and furnace. ""We, the people, give power and pedastle. As such, we reserve the right to react and retract."" Journals Entries 1-5 The Long Journey Entries 6-10 The Long Way 'Round Journal Entry 11 Ornell has been discovered. The great mage has been pulling strings in an ever intertweaving net of political posturing, fear mongering and collusion. Though his motivations remain unknown, Mora is heading the proverbial spear that will pierce the Archmage's ribs; striking at the very heart. Our rag tag group has been serving as the spear's handle. Guided by the disconnected mouthpiece, we are to go on a hunt for a collection of mystical relics.. Stolen and stowed in a maze of traps, temptations and deterrents; we are to collect the relics and put them to use against He Who Remains Unseen. Qi will be accompanying us on this journey; her first time out of Asheville and in the groups company since we pulled her mangled body out of that forsaken mine. Her body is strong and her tenacity double, but still I worry... Conditions of this quest are likely to mirror the those within which we found each other; dark and dangerous and deep underground. There is a connection between Qi and myself that seems to span entire territories; the origins of which are entierly lost on myself.. The she warg retains a fragility that contradicts her ferocity and prowess but our tenacity grows in tangent 1.Why did your character become an adventurer? Adventure chose Stride. Fending for himself from an adolescent age, first in urban areas begging for untainted water and other's leftovers. Years of being looked over, often trampled, Stride was worn, emaciated and tired. He grew a particular disdain for humans, his own race. They were a constant in humiliation and degradation. Nature served as an escape. Quiet and peaceful and dangerous, though lacking in the malice that had worn at his psyche for so long. By 15, Stride was self sufficient in the wild, hunting and camping for months on end. Trekking back to civilization only for escape from solace, a barrel of mead and occasional romantic encounter. Eventually taking Stride started taking odd jobs in cities across the province, his confidence bolstered, self sufficiency hardened and his liver grew strong. He had found his place in the world, amongst the unforgiving, honest nature of wilderness and beasts; and a calling in the dirty work that other adventurers might shy away from...for the right price. 2. Who or what is most important to your character? My immediate 'adopted' family is most important to me. Cohesion and effectiveness, within said family, come second only to love and protection. 3. Who is their worst enemy, and what did they do to your character? Stride's worst enemies are those who attempt to poison or destroy his brothers. Abusers and userpers of the innocent, bipedal or otherwise. 4. What is one place that your character never wants to visit again? The one place Stride would never want to visit again is a centralized hub east of Hialeah Forest commonly referred to as The Tradewinds. It is home to a conglomeration of trade groups and news runners, such as Red's Caravan and Co. and The Wing'ed Runners. A long time source of income for Stride in his transient years, things came to a confrontational head at the discovery of an underground trade syndicate of magical creatures and beasts. Atrocious conditions and abuses in the capturing and transportation of the beasts led Stride to action, setting ambushes and subterfugion; and freeing hundreds of innocent creatures over the course of a couple of months. Red, herself, finally caught on to otherwise sporadic patterns of attacks and sent a group of mercenary caravan guards to deal with Stride. Though unsuccessful in their attempt, The Beastmaster escaped, east of the great forest, where The Tradewinds' network and negotiated territories borders end. 5. What would make your character the happiest they’ve ever been? Nothing would make Stride happier than knowing that his family line would not come to a, likely violent, end with him. A life of adventuring has made it near impossible to settle long enough to procreate, let alone establish long term relations. The dream of making his own family, and the sense of belonging and responsibilities that come along with it; however, are never far from his thoughts. Known Background Born to a clan of nomadic hunters, He was entered into a world of hunting, foraging, and living with animals; cattle and co-hunter alike. Being separated from his clan at the age of 7, he roamed and learned to live in his own way; always attempting to track down the clan to which he belongs and reclaim his name-sake. He seems to have taken a break, as of late and was last seen traveling eastward from Ashville, going by the name of Gene Starward. Rumors say that he's gone off the grid; in tow of a small group of notorious outlaws. His companion's names are not certain; nor is his. Though, some say, he is currently questing under the pseudo-name Stride. Talents and Combat Proficiencies Ranger General Two-Weapon Combat Choose from the following list whenever he gains a combat style feat: 2nd, 6th*, 10th, 14th, and 18th level. Can choose amognst specified feats, even without the normal prerequisits. Double Slice, Improved Shield Bash, Quick Draw, and Two-Weapon Fighting. At 6th level, add Improved Two-Weapon Fighting and Two-Weapon Defense to the list. At 10th level, add Greater Two-Weapon Fighting and Two-Weapon Rend to the list. * due to Beastmaster's imporved empathic link Favored Enemy (Ex) - Humanoid (Humans) +2 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks against humans. +2 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against Humans. A ranger may make Knowledge skill checks untrained when attempting to identify these creatures. At 5th level and every five levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th level), the ranger may select an additional favored enemy. In addition, at each such interval, the bonus against any one favored enemy (including the one just selected, if so desired) increases by +2. Track (Ex) A ranger adds half his level (minimum 1) to Survival skill checks made to follow tracks. Endurance (@ Lvl 3) +4 bonus on the following checks and saves: Swim checks made to resist nonlethal damage from exhaustion; Constitution checks made to continue running; Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from a forced march; Constitution checks made to hold your breath; Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from starvation or thirst; Fortitude saves made to avoid nonlethal damage from hot or cold environments; and Fortitude saves made to resist damage from suffocation. Favored Terrain (Ex) (@ Lvl 3) Select a type of terrain from Table: Ranger Favored Terrains. The ranger gains a +2 bonus on initiative checks and Knowledge (geography), Perception, Stealth, and Survival skill checks when he is in this terrain. A ranger traveling through his favored terrain normally leaves no trail and cannot be tracked (though he may leave a trail if he so chooses). At 8th level and every five levels thereafter, the ranger may select an additional favored terrain. In addition, at each such interval, the skill bonus and initiative bonus in any one favored terrain (including the one just selected, if so desired), increases by +2. Beastmaster Specific Animal Companion (Ex) A beast master forms a close bond with an animal companion. This ability functions like the druid animal companion ability except that the ranger’s effective druid level is equal to his ranger level – 3. The ranger gains a +2 bonus on wild empathy and Handle Animal checks made regarding his animal companion. Unlike a normal ranger, a beast master’s choice of animal companion is not limited to a subset of all possible animal companion choices—he may choose freely among all animal companion choices, just as a druid can. The beast master may have more than one animal companion, but he must divide up his effective druid level between his companions to determine the abilities of each companion. For example, a beast master with an effective druid level of 4 can have one 4th-level companion, two 2nd-level companions, or one 1st-level and one 3rd-level companion. Each time a beast master’s effective druid level increases, he must decide how to allocate the increase among his animal companions (including the option of adding a new 1st-level companion). Once an effective druid level is allocated to a particular companion, it cannot be redistributed while that companion is in the ranger’s service (he must release a companion or wait until a companion dies to allocate its levels to another companion). The share spells animal companion ability does not give the ranger the ability to cast a single spell so that it affects all of his animal companions. This ability replaces hunter’s bond. Human Bonus: Add +1 hit point or +1 skill rank to the ranger's animal companion Improved Empathic Link (Su) The beast master gains an empathic link with all of his animal companions. This functions like an empathic link with a familiar, except the ranger can also see through a companion’s eyes as a swift action, maintaining this connection as long as he likes (as long as the companion is within 1 mile) and ending it as a free action. The ranger can only see through the eyes of one companion at a time, and is blinded while maintaining this connection. DO NOT EARN 6th-level COMBAT FEAT. This replaces the 6th-level combat style feat. Strong Bond (Ex) At 12th level, the ranger strengthens his bond with his animal companions. The ranger’s effective druid level for his animal companions is now equal to his ranger level; he may immediately allocate these additional levels to his companions as he sees fit. This ability replaces camouflage. Human Specific Humans gain an additional skill rank whenever they gain a level.